Philosophy of Religion Colloquium Series Will Feature Indiana University Philosophy Professor

Dr. Timothy O'Connor, professor of philosophy at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., will give a lecture at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, in the Treasure Room of Armstrong Browning Library on the Baylor campus.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Baylor department of philosophy's Philosophy of Religion Colloquium Series offered each semester. A reception will follow in the Cox Reception Room of the Armstrong Browning Library.

In O'Connor's lecture "Can There Be a Theory for Everything?" he will identify assumptions that underlie the question of existence or certain kinds of responses to it, and he will try to rebut objection to seeking an explanation of contingent reality.

"He's addressing the biggest question possible, and he'll do so without vagueness or silliness," said Dr. Trent Dougherty, assistant professor in the department of philosophy at Baylor. "That's hard to do."

Dougherty said there will also be a pingpong tournament with O'Connor prior to his lecture. O'Connor has declared himself "Philo-Pong World Grand Champion," the world's leading table tennis player among properly credentialed philosophers.

O'Connor received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1987, his master's degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., in 1991 and his doctoral degree from Cornell in 1992.

His interests include metaphysics, philosophy of mind and philosophy of religion. He has taught at Indiana University since 1993 and has been chair of the philosophy department since 2006.